The Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, Senator Helen Coonan, has announced that from today, gifts to the value of $2 or more to the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation will be deductible for income tax purposes.
Senator Coonan said the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation was established in 1999 to provide financial assistance to those suffering from illiteracy, to work towards ensuring a practical and measurable decrease in the severity of illiteracy, and to gain the support of the Australian community.
"The Foundation will principally engage in the direct provision of speech, numeracy and literacy services as well as developing, teaching and training others in sound methods of teaching literacy and numeracy skills and facilitating both professional and public access to information about literacy and numeracy," Senator Coonan said.
"Tax deductible gift status would help the Foundation attract public support for its activities.
"Legislation to give effect to this announcement will be introduced as soon as practicable.
"Taxpayers should ensure that they receive a receipt for their donation."